There’s few better times for soccer fans than World Cup season—and Atlanta soccer pubs and sports bars are joining in on the celebration. With so many to choose from, here are a few that stand out because of their deals, giveaways, and special World Cup menus through July 15. Best of all, many are opening early and offering breakfast specials for the extra dedicated fans. So whether you want to catch the morning or afternoon game, one thing is certain: you won’t have to break the bank.Fado Irish Pub This popular Irish pub will not only show all World Cup matches, but both of their Buckhead and Midtown locations will have a special World Cup menu as well. The menus at either location might vary slightly, but at the Buckhead location, you can expect offers like $10 sandwiches or burgers, $5 beers, $3 mimosas (until 3 p.m.), $6 bloody Mary’s (until 3 p.m.), and $20 buckets of beer. Doors open as early as 7:45 a.m. for the morning games. Buckhead: 273 Buckhead Avenue, 404-841-0066; Midtown: 933 Peachtree Street, 404-260-7190Rí Rá Irish Pub Want to switch things up and catch the early game? This Irish pub in Midtown is perfect for that. They will open at 7:30 a.m. for all the morning matches and offer delicious breakfast specials (for orders placed before 11 a.m.) and $4 drinks to keep dedicated fans taken care of. 1080 Peachtree Street Northwest, 404-477-1700Big Sky Buckhead If you wake up early, but not that early, then head here for brunch. Their morning specials carry on until 3:30 p.m. and include brunch options like $7 pandebono baskets, $10 chicken and biscuits, $10 arepas, and $15 steak and eggs. They’ll have $17 mix and match beer buckets all day though. During the World Cup season, doors open 7:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. depending on the specific game. 3201 Cains Hill Place Northwest, 404-228-8856El Ponce Feelin’ Mexican food? Check this place out for well-rounded deals on food and drinks. For all World Cup games, they will be offering their full brunch menu which is usually just offered on Sundays. They also have a special Match Day menu that offers burritos, grande chilaquiles, and more. For drinks, they will offer several Heineken specials: $10 for a 32-oz Heineken that comes with a complimentary Atlanta United mug with refills for $6 (customers can bring this back anytime during the World Cup or Atlanta United matches for the refills), $20 Heineken & Heineken Light Bucket, and $7 for a 16-oz Heineken and 1-oz shot of Tequila. 939 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, 404-881-6040Der Biergarten If you’re rooting for Germany and want a taste of German culture too, Der Biergarten offers $10 liters of beer and $5 brats for any Germany match until July 15. Beyond that, Der Biergarten’s atmosphere attracts Germany fans from all over Atlanta, so you’ll all be cheering together. 300 Marietta Street, 404- 521-2728The Midway Pub This East Atlanta Village pub has one of the biggest patios in the area and more than 100 selections of beer. Not only will they be open for all World Cup games, including all the morning ones, but they will also be giving away prizes (like Atlanta United tickets) and offering specials. They will have a World Cup loyalty program, called the “Passport Rewards Program,” which will allow customers to earn Midway money to spend at the restaurant for every game they attend there. 552 Flat Shoals Avenue Southeast, 404-584-0335 The Elder TreeA stylish and contemporary Irish pub and soccer club — The Elder Tree will be opening at 8 a.m. for all the matches and offering $3 Heineken draft specials, Atlanta United player signings, and giveaways like jerseys or balls. They are proud founding members of Atlanta’s MLS soccer club, Atlanta United FC — so expect to be around a lot of soccer fans. Other sports bars like Brewhouse Cafe and Hudson FC International Sports Pub may not have specific World Cup specials, however, they will surely have great menus and a game atmosphere you’d want to be a part of. 469 Flat Shoals Ave SEAtlanta, GA 30316(404) 658-6108
No Atlanta act bookended the decade better than TLC. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas burst onto the scene with their DayGlo fashions and a 1992 debut, “Ooooooohhh. . . On the TLC Tip.” From then until 1999’s “FanMail” (hit single: “No Scrubs”), the tumultuous trio dominated both the charts and the tabloids. For a time, they surpassed even the Supremes to become the all-time biggest-selling female pop group. TLC’s rise came to a halt in 2002 after Lopes died in a car crash. In 2013 the two surviving members executive-produced the VH1 docudrama “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.” Watkins and Thomas began performing again as TLC and this year will go on tour with NKOTB.
Says Thomas of TLC’s endurance: “It’s so crazy to me when a 10-year-old comes up and knows who I am, thanks to the VH1 movie. It’s grabbed a whole other generation. It makes me feel good to know that we did the right thing when we first came out with our direction and how we felt about female empowerment.”
This article originally appeared in our March 2015 issue.
